Rajasthan, India · Nov 2024

About Me

Born in Varna, Bulgaria in 1983. Started working when most people were still figuring out what to study.

By 19 I'd moved to Sofia alone, broke, and stubborn enough to think that was a good idea. I spent my teenage years ignoring school, obsessed with computers, video games, and the idea of becoming a hacker. When I got my first PC in '98, I thought I'd be a designer, but life shoved me into programming — PHP, websites, anything that paid rent. That's how it started.

Outside of Work

My world is made of books, motorcycles, travel, cooking, music, my daughter, and my dog — the two creatures I'd gladly die for.

I get obsessive about learning; even after 25+ years of programming, I still compare myself to "real" engineers and feel like I'm far behind. Coffee in the morning is non-negotiable. Everything else can fall apart.

Values

I value intelligence and kindness, even if I don't always model them. I can be stupidly impulsive and meet unkindness with unkindness. I believe freedom and love matter more than anything, and most of my decision-making is a strange equilibrium between passion and thought.

How People See Me

People tend to misread me. I come off as strange to the average person, so I gravitate toward creatives and oddballs who find me normal. My humor is dark, sarcastic, and occasionally snobbish. I talk a lot. I can sound arrogant.

Some think I'm mean when they first meet me, but if they stay long enough, they discover I'm different in a way they actually enjoy. I make friends easily, but I keep my circle small on purpose.

Quirks

Because everyone has them — mine are just louder

I read multiple books at the same time and finish them unpredictably.
I talk to my dog as if he's a rational adult — because he basically is.
I hate small talk but can talk for hours about motorcycles, psychology, or why a line of code is ugly.
I don't watch much new media; I rewatch the same favourite shows like comfort rituals.
When I travel, I reliably end up doing something stupid just to feel alive.
I adore individuals and distrust crowds.
I hoard browser tabs like a digital dragon.
I give brutally honest feedback, but only when asked — unsolicited advice is rude.
I cook by instinct, not recipe.
I count the number 19 with my fingers constantly, for no good reason.

Right Now

I'm learning languages, going to the gym, and pushing myself through university because I want to teach someday. Maybe that's my way of giving back — or maybe I just like making things harder than they need to be.